Enzo came back with two cards and handed them to my mother. “You have two rooms. One has two doubles and one has a queen.”

“I’ll stay with Nonni,” I said.

A short silence settled. Everyone stared at me, but I pressed my lips together and didn’t back down or say it didn’t matter. Right now, I didn’t want to be in the same room as my mother. If I stayed with Nonni, at least I’d get some breathing room. “That’s not necessary,” Nonni said, glancing back and forth between us. “Stay with your mother, honey.”

“No, that’s okay.” Mom’s voice was polite but cold. “You can look after your grandmother. Just remember she snores.”

Enzo laughed, not seeming to sense the tension. “Go down this hall, take the elevators to the fourth floor. Your luggage was already brought up. I also included my cell phone number in case you need me.”

“Grazie,” I said, liking the way the word sounded on my tongue, especially in Italy and not Italian class.

“Prego.”

He winked and walked away. We headed to the elevators, remaining quiet, and when we got to the rooms, Mom turned her back and began fiddling with the key card. “I’ll check on you in a few hours. Let me know if you have any trouble with room service.”

Guilt threatened, but I pushed it down. I had the right not to want to be in her room. The idea of strained conversation or fighting right now made my stomach hurt. So I nodded and went inside with Nonni.

“Nice room,” I said, shutting the door. The two double beds held piles of pillows and I had an urge to crawl up on the mattress and fall dead asleep. There was a basic couch and a table with a small TV, but when I went to the window and pulled back the curtain, I gasped. “Nonni, come look.”

She stood beside me. “How beautiful.” She sighed and leaned against me so our shoulders were touching. The city spread out before us, all rough stone and jagged edges and dozens of shades of brown edged with green. I spotted the faint outline of the Duomo, and endless streets crisscrossing in an elaborate puzzle. Wrought-iron balconies filled with brightly colored flowers seemed to spring from every building. “It’s like we stepped into a different world.”

We enjoyed the view for a while, then decided to order. “I want the pizza,” my grandmother declared. Her eyes glinted, and even though I knew she was tired from the trip, she seemed more excited than I’ve ever seen her before. “How different do you think it is from America?”

“I don’t know, but I’m getting one too.” I made the call and was relieved the person who answered spoke English, and they promised to have it up within thirty minutes.

“Allegra, you should have stayed with your mother.”